


Reactions and Observations

by myriddin



Series: Consent [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Joffrey Baratheon is a little shit, POV Outsider, Past Abuse, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-30 05:48:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5152604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myriddin/pseuds/myriddin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The rest of the Stark siblings’ reactions to Jon and Sansa’s relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reactions and Observations

"Jon?!"

Sansa rolled her eyes at her sister's exclamation, the fourth or fifth Arya had given in quick succession. "Yes," she confirmed patiently (also not for the first time), "Jon."

She hid a smile at Arya's irritated huff, as Sansa focused on kneading her dough (for the biscuits she had promised Bran and Rickon) without sparing her sister a glance. Arya had never dealt well with change. As if a romance between her honorary brother and her estranged sister wasn't enough to throw the poor girl for a loop, even before the relationship had come to light, recent shifts in Sansa's character and their sororal dynamic already had Arya off kilter.

Sansa knew what her sister was attempting. Arya was trying to goad her into losing her temper, so the two of them would fight. Sansa wished she could give her some of the familiar ground Arya so obviously wanted, but Sansa had come too far to let herself fall back into habits that had been so toxic to their relationship. In the past, her own ego and immaturity had clashed epically time and time again with Arya's tendency to jump to the defensive, but Sansa wasn't that spoiled, callow girl anymore. Joffrey Baratheon had changed everything.

Some small part of her still hesitated to call what he had done abuse, but the rest of her knew differently. In less than the single year she had been far from the safety of her family and home, Joffrey had managed to isolate, control and terrorize her into nearly breaking completely, all without ever raising a hand to strike her.

She hadn't shared the details with her family, though she knew everyone had their own theories. Arya certainly made no secret of her suspicions, but Sansa could only hope the teenager was still young enough to think Joff had only been a bad boyfriend. Joffrey Baratheon was hardly worth shattering her younger siblings' innocence over.

Joffrey had managed to keep her so cut off that she hadn't seen or spoken to her family in over six month prior to leaving the prat and returning to London. Those six months had changed her too much to ever go back to her she had been before. She was stronger now, and infinitely more patient. She would wait Arya out as long as she had to.

Hearing Arya begin to fidget behind her, she had a feeling she wouldn't have to wait long.

Coating their mother's rolling pin with flour and beginning to roll out the dough, she looked over her shoulder toward her sullen sister. "Will you get Mum's Halloween cutters from the drawer?"

Arya did as asked and set them beside Sansa, leaning against the counter for several more moments of moody silence before she chose to speak. "Why Jon?"

"Why not Jon?" Sansa countered, brushing her hands of flour before reaching for the cutters. "He's good to me and I quite fancy him."

Arya grimaced but wordlessly began helping her sister cut out ghost, pumpkin and witch cookie shapes. "You're happy?"

Lips curling into a soft smile, Sansa nodded. "I'm happy."

"Alright then."

And that was that.

xxx

After a childhood accident had nearly left him paralyzed for life, Bran Stark had changed from a rowdy, reckless boy he had been. He took to constant wanderings through the corridors of their family home as regular exercise for his limp, his contemplative silences and careful steps forging him into the unofficial sentinel of Stark Manor. It was little surprise he was often witness to the secrets within the manor's walls before any other were in the know-how.

"Jon…"

The sound of his sister's voice, whispering Jon's in such intimate tones, froze Bran in his tracks as he passed by the open doors leading out to one of the second-floor balconies.

He leaned against his cane, grabbing one of the door edges for further support and he sidled a little closer, a threat of suspicion lurking at the edge of his mind as the pair standing in the shadows outside came into his view.

Sansa was against one of the walls, pressed back against the sheet rock surface by the close proximity of Jon, who loomed over her with a hand braced above her head, his eyes intense and staring down into hers. Bran wondered if they had been arguing.

"You're been ignoring me," Jon said softly.

Sansa shook her head in denial. "No, I..."

Jon reached up to tuck a stray curl behind Sansa's ear, letting his fingers gently glide down her cheek. "I'm not daft, darlin'. I know you have been. I just don't understand why."

Bran blinked as he watched Sansa blush. He'd never seen her do that before. His sister sighed, leaning into Jon's touch as the older boy's thumb stroked along her jaw. "I was embarrassed," she finally admitted, her flush deepened.

Jon chuckled. "Why? Because you had a cry? I'd be a complete nutter if I thought less of you for it. You've no reason to be embarrassed, love."

The kiss that followed was so intense Bran found himself blushing in Sansa's stead. He was quick to put an end to his voyeurism, maneuvering himself down the hall to give the couple their privacy.

xxx

A loud exclamation of, "Ugh!" and a dramatically disgusted expression was Rickon's reaction to the first time he saw Sansa and Jon share a kiss. And if he chose to make faces or fake retching noises for months after any time he spotted them sharing affection, the couple barely reacted beyond the occasional eye-roll.

Little boy theatrics were nothing compared to the response they anticipated from Ned and Catelyn.


End file.
